II. ELIPHAZ’S REBUKE AND WARNING
In chapter fifteen we have Eliphaz’s rebuke and warning.
A. Rebuking Job concerning His Pride
and Self-righteousness
In verses 1 through 16 Eliphaz rebuked Job concerning his pride and self-righteousness.
1. Saying That
Job’s Knowledge Was Vain as Wind,
without the Fear of God
Eliphaz said that Job’s knowledge was as vain as wind, without the fear of God and restraining godly meditation before God. According to Eliphaz, Job’s iniquity instructed his mouth, and Job chose the tongue of the crafty. Thus, Job’s mouth condemned him and his lips testified against him (vv. 1-6).
2. Saying That
Job Was Proud of His Superiority
Eliphaz continued by rebuking Job for being proud of his superiority (vv. 7-13). Eliphaz asked him, "Are you the first man born?/Or were you brought forth before the hills?/Did you listen in on the secret council of God?/And do you limit wisdom to yourself?/What do you know that we do not know? /What do you understand that is not with us?" (vv. 7-9). Then Eliphaz went on to tell Job that God’s gentle words of consolation were too small for Job, that he let his heart take him away, and that he turned his spirit against God.
3. Saying That
Job Was Self-righteous
Finally, Eliphaz rebuked Job for being self-righteous. Eliphaz remarked that a man born of woman cannot be clean or righteous, that God puts no trust in His holy ones, and that even the heavens are not clean in His sight, much less a man who is abominable and corrupt and who drinks wrong like water (vv. 14-16).
B. Warning Job
with the Miserable End of a Wicked Man
After rebuking Job, Eliphaz warned him with the miserable end of a wicked man (vv. 17-35). This warning was based on the principle of good and evil. In keeping with this principle, Eliphaz said that the wicked, whose heart prepares deceit, would be terrified by distress and straights, that they would not be rich and their wealth would not endure, that they would not go away from darkness, and that vanity would be their recompense. Eliphaz’s concept was altogether according to good and evil. In his view, the good people would prosper and the wicked would suffer.
After reading chapters twelve through fifteen, we can see the situation of both Job and Eliphaz. Job, a person of very strong character, had a superiority complex, and Eliphaz was a typical fool who tried to teach Job by rebuking and warning him according to the principle of good and evil.
(Life-Study of Job, Chapter 11, by Witness Lee)
